Fishing with a rig having two or more hooks has long been considered a more efficient way to fish. When large numbers of fish need to be caught, for example, with commercial fishing or with bait fish, a greater number of hooks on a rig gives the person fishing more chances to catch more fish. As such, rigs with multiple hooks are popular with bait fishing and commercial fishing.
However, fishing with multiple hooks does present several problems. One such problem with a rig having multiple hooks is that the hooks tend to snag each other or tangle with the line of the rig. This phenomena is also known as fouling. Once fouling has occurred with a rig, the rig is likely incapable of being casted and is also less likely to be effective in catching fish. Once fouled, undesirable options are available to remedy the condition. These remedies include the time-consuming process of untangling the rig or replacing the fouled rig with a new rig. With the first remedy, time is wasted, and with the second remedy both time and a rig is wasted. Because efficiency of fishing is a major benefit of the multiple hook rig, fouling inherent with the multiple hook rig decreases the benefit of that efficiency.
Another problem associated with the multiple hook rig is safety. Safety is of particular concern when children are using a multiple hook rig to catch bait fish. More hooks on a rig increases the likelihood of a hook snagging on clothing or even puncturing the skin. This can occur when the rod is being stored, being transported, being cast, or being reeled in. In addition to being a safety problem, removing a hook from the object in which the hook was embedded is a time-consuming process that also decreases the efficiency of the multiple hook rig.
Several types of fishing rods have been developed to handle multiple hook rigs. One example is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,773 to Burgh. Burgh discloses a hollow shaft that inwardly tapers from the reel to the distal end of the shaft. At the distal end of a shaft is an open-mouth flute for receiving a weight. The rod of Burgh acts to prevent some fouling of the hooks and to cover the hooks when reeled into the shaft. However, because the shaft is at its narrowest at the distal end of the shaft, the narrow opening limits the size of a hook that can be placed within the shaft. Also, the narrowing of the shaft as it approaches the distal end tends to restrict the outward progress of the rig from the shaft which can lead to fouling.
Rods similar to Burgh are also shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,103 to Hare, U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,619 to Watkins, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,231 to Okada et al. Hare, Watkins and Okada also disclose hollow shafts that prevent some fouling of hooks and can cover the hooks when reeled into the shaft. However, Hare, Watkins and Okada disclose shafts that taper inwardly from reels to the distal ends of the shafts. The narrow opening at the distal end of the shaft restricts the size of a hook that can be reeled into the shaft and restricts the movement of hooks out of the shaft.